ISPs pledge to make traffic management policies clearer

A consortium of broadband providers, including BT and
Virgin Media, have signed a
voluntary commitment to provide more clear and comparable
information on how and when internet connection speeds are
restricted.

Throughout 2011, seven major ISPs will use their websites to
explain any "traffic management" practices used on the network.
Traffic management is a catch-all term that covers fair-use
policies, prioritising certain types of content at busy times and
ensuring speed-critical tasks -- like streaming video -- aren't suffering from services like beefy
file downloads.

It's also a potential boon for advocates of net neutrality. The term also covers "managed services", which
means making certain content and website providers exempt from
traffic management policies if they're willing to pay for it --
something that critics fear could lead to an elitist "two-tier
internet". Under this new code of conduct, ISPs would have to
declare any paid-for speed changes to customers.

Customers will also be able to compare traffic management
policies between the majority of broadband providers in the UK. The
seven members of the group, which includes BSkyB, O2, TalkTalk, Three and Vodafone, account for around 90 percent
of home broadband customers and 60 percent of mobile customers in the
UK.

Each ISP will publish a Key Facts Indicator (KFI) tale on
their website, with common and comparable terms. Those KFIs will be
available from the end of June 2011. A review of the policies will
be conducted sometime in 2012.